Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0030552 (paresis)
 5,831 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A patient with mild cervical myelopathy due to multilevel ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) initially underwent a cervical C3-T1 laminectomy with C2-T2 fusion utilizing lateral mass screws. The patient's new postoperative right upper extremity paresis largely resolved within several postoperative months. However, approximately 6 months later, the patient developed increased paraparesis attributed to thoracic OPLL and Ossification of the yellow ligament (OYL) at the T2-T5 and T10-T11 levels. The patient underwent simultaneous minimally invasive (MIS) unilateral MetRx approaches to both regions. Postoperatively, the patient was paraplegic and never recovered function. Multiple mistakes led to permanent paraplegia due to MIS MetRx decompressions for T2-T5 and T10-11 OPLL/OYL in this patient. First, both thoracic procedures should have been performed "open" utilizing a full laminectomy rather than MIS; adequate visualization would have likely averted inadvertent cord injury, and the resultant CSF leak. Second, the surgeon should have used an operating microscope. Third, the operation should have been monitored with somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP), motor evoked potentials (MEP), and EMG (electromyography). Fourth, preoperatively the patient should have received a 1-gram dose of Solumedrol for cord "protection". Fifth, applying Gelfoam as part of the CSF leak repair is contraindicated (e.g. due to swelling in confined spaces- see insert). Sixth, if the patient had not stopped Excedrin prior to the surgery, the surgery should have been delayed to avoid the increased perioperative risk of bleeding/hematoma.
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PMID:Medicolegal Corner: When minimally invasive thoracic surgery leads to paraplegia. 2484 11

BACKGROUND Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder that is part of a group of acute porphyria disorders usually found in females of reproductive age. Although clinically there is low penetrance, with 90% of genetically diagnosed individuals never experiencing an acute flair, consequences of acute flairs may lead to devastating results. Debilitating paresis, seizures, respiratory failure, and even death may result from AIP. Early detection is key in preventing these devastating manifestations. CASE REPORT A 67-year-old Hispanic man with a past medical history of pulmonary Coccidioides on fluconazole presented with bilateral thigh pain for 2 days. At baseline, the patient had no limitations, but now was limited to minimal walking due to his thigh pain subsequently progressing to diffuse weakness after the administration of IV Solumedrol. Over the next few months, EMG was notable for acute-on-chronic sensorimotor axonal denervation in upper and lower extremities, without evidence of myositis. Urine porphobilinogen was 58 mmol/L, which is 29 times the upper limit of normal. Treatment was started with hemin 4 mg/kg/day for 4 days. CONCLUSIONS Over our patient's clinical course, he was affected by a severe manifestation of repeated acute porphyria attacks, which started as anterior thigh pain and progressed to diffused weakness disproportionally affecting the muscles of the upper extremities. Although the patient was in his late 60's at the initial onset of AIP, his diffuse Coccidioides infection, use of azoles, and steroids likely contributed to his first AIP attack.
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PMID:Axonal Polyneuropathy in a Man Treated for Pulmonary Cocci: A Case of Acute Intermittent Porphyria. 3153 Jul 95